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In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players".
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan, OBE is a retired Scottish rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Headingley as his only club during a 15-year club career, qualifying for Scotland through his father he played 32 times internationally for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for the British & Irish Lions. During his playing career he worked as a teacher. Upon retiring from player McGeechan began coaching, in a career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win a Grand Slam in the 1990 Five Nations Championship, and won Premiership Rugby & the European Cup with London Wasps in 2008 & 2007. He was head coach on four tours for the British & Irish Lions spanning 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour as well.
Andrew David Farrell is an English professional rugby union coach and former player for both rugby league and rugby union. Farrell has been head coach of the Ireland national team since 2019.
Leon Raymond MacDonald is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer, and former head coach for the Auckland Blues rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, the All Blacks. He played as a first five-eighth (fly-half), centre, and fullback.
Keiron Cunningham is a professional rugby league coach and former player. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played his entire professional career at St Helens, making nearly 500 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2010 and winning numerous trophies. He has been frequently cited as being among the best players in the Super League history and is widely regarded to be one of St Helens' greatest players of all time.
Conor O'Shea is an Irish rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the Italy national team from 2016 to 2019. He played as a full back and occasionally at out-half and centre for Ireland, Lansdowne and London Irish. He has also coached London Irish and Harlequins, and held management positions with the English Rugby Football Union and the English Institute of Sport.
Ronald 'Ronnie' William Poulton was an English rugby union footballer, who captained England. He was killed in the First World War during the Second Battle of Ypres.
John Anthony Gallagher is a former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s.
Gerard Cunningham is an Irish hurling manager and former player who played for Cork Senior Championship club St Finbarr's. He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 20 years, during which time he lined out as a goalkeeper. Unchallenged in the number one position for his entire career, Cunningham is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
John Kahukura Raymond Timu is a New Zealand former rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s who achieved international selection for New Zealand in both rugby codes, appearing in 26 tests for the All Blacks in union and nine for the Kiwis in league. Timu's usual position was centre in league and in union he would play at full-back or on the wing.
Gary John Connolly is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as a fullback and centre for St Helens, Canterbury Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and for the Great Britain national side. He also played rugby union for Harlequins, Orrell and Irish side Munster.
Patrick Wallace is an Ireland rugby union player who played for Ireland's national team and played for Ulster. A native of Belfast, he attended Rockport School and Campbell College. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998. He was a member of the Ireland Grand Slam winning team of 2009.
Michael Darren Cassidy is the Head of youth development of the Wigan Warriors and a former professional rugby league footballer. Cassidy had a wealth of experience with the dominant Wigan side of the early to mid-1990s. Cassidy is a Great Britain representative. Cassidy's position of choice was in the second-row, but he could also play as a prop or hooker. Cassidy has been labelled a utility player and has played wherever he has been needed.
Jarrod Cunningham was a New Zealand rugby union fullback. Born in Hawke's Bay, Cunningham played for his home town rugby club from 1990 to 1997, during which time he was trialed for the All Blacks in 1993, but was kept out of the side by Andrew Mehrtens. He played Super 12 rugby for Auckland Blues in 1996, and then Wellington Hurricanes in the 1997/98 season. In July 1998, he joined English Premiership Rugby side London Irish, playing 82 games and scoring 18 tries and 848 points. In the 2000/1 season he was the leagues leading points scorer, with 324.
Sir George Cunningham was a civil servant in British India and later Pakistan who served as the Governor of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) thrice, twice during the British Raj and once after the creation of Pakistan. He tacitly witnessed his government launch an invasion of Kashmir from the frontier tribal areas adjoining the NWFP, and then oversaw it under directions from Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Mark Forster is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, Ireland and Lancashire, and at club level for the Warrington Wolves, and the Widnes Vikings, as a wing, or centre.
Samuel Lameko Panapa is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He represented three countries in his career: Tokelau, New Zealand and Western Samoa. Panapa played his club football in Auckland as well as England, where he won several titles with the champion Wigan side of the 1990s.
The Ireland national rugby sevens team competes in several international rugby sevens competitions. The team is governed by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
Edward "Eddie" Cunningham is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at international level for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Wigan, St. Helens, Leeds, Widnes and Batley, as a centre, second-row, or loose forward.
Jan Cunningham is an Irish former rugby union player, who played centre, wing and fullback for Ulster.